Written By: Summer Carlisle

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or make any money from writing these.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance

Warnings: A bit femslashy, but nothing worth upping the rating for.

Notes: This is my first non-heterosexual pairing, so I'm still working on how I write those scenes. If you don't like the girl/girl, don't read it. There aren't many specifics, it isn't going to be perfectly canon, so keep that in mind.

Chapter One

"No, Ginny! I am not using an insensitive tone!" Harry yelled, taking a step toward her in the corner of the empty common room.

"Yes, you are, you know you are! How can you not see how much of a complete prick you're being right now?" Ginny yelled back, pushing him away. "You told me you weren't going to see her anymore."

"I haven't been seeing her! I ran into her in the Three Broomsticks. That's hardly cheating on you."

"Oh yes, I'm so sure it was such a coincidence that you and Cho just happened to both venture alone into the pub at the exact same time." How could he act like he hadn't done anything wrong?

"I haven't done anything wrong!" he shouted back.

"I told you to stop using legillimency on me," she hissed, her eyes dangerous. "Dumbledore should never have taught you that to begin with," she muttered.

"Well how else am I supposed to understand anything you women-"

"Us women?" She was screeching. "Us women?"

"I didn't mean it like-"

"Exactly which of us women are you referring to, Harry? Me and Chang, perhaps? Or are there more you'd like to tell me about?" She crossed her arms, glaring unwaveringly.

"No! There are no women! It is just you, Ginny," he tried to step toward her again.

"I don't believe you." She could see his temper flare in his bright green eyes, they were somehow darkened by his anger.

"Fine. You don't have to anymore. I'm sick of you accusing me of ridiculous outrages every other day. I'm through. Goodnight, Ginny." He gave her one last indecipherable look and stormed up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

Ginny collapsed onto the sofa, her small frame shaking as the tears came. She could go after him, she should go after him.

But she wouldn't.

Ginny Weasley was sick of chasing after boys.

A moment later, the door opened and Romilda Vane stumbled in, dragging an even more stumbling Sophie Richards by the hand...

The sky had grown icy and the trees bare in the following winter months. Christmas was in the air as students passed around the sign-up sheet for anyone staying at Hogwarts over the holiday.

Hermione passed the parchment across the table in the great hall to Ginny, who, unwillingly, signed her name. She sighed as she handed the paper to Ron, who promptly got pudding-coated fingerprints all over it. Ginny did not miss the sideways glance her sigh earned her from Harry. Besides for Quidditch, they hadn't spoken a word to one another in over two months.

"Something wrong, Gin?" Hermione asked, looking up from a copy of Charming Charms and How to Break Them.

"I was just really looking forward to mum's cooking this year, but there's no use going home with her and dad visiting Charlie in Romania again." She stirred her own pudding glumly.

"I'm sure we'll have loads of fun here over the holiday. I'm personally looking forward to some alone time, I just got an order of seven new books from Flourish and Blotts this morning actually. You could borrow them, if you'd like," Hermione offered with a smile at the redhead.

Ron, who looked highly perturbed indeed at the thought of spending the entire holiday reading, choked on his pudding. Harry pounded him roughly on the back, avoiding eye contact with Ginny on Ron's other side.

"Malfoy's staying over Christmas too!" Ron coughed out. "And I thought this would be a good holiday!" He passed the sign-up sheet to Harry, handling it lightly as if it were contaminated. Ginny could see Malfoy's name, in the largest and most elegant script of them all, at the top of the page. Harry frowned at the pudding-stained parchment, but otherwise said nothing. He didn't seem to talk much at all anymore, really. But maybe that's just when he's around me.

She glanced several feet down the table, catching Sophie Richards' eye. Sophie flipped back her long, blonde hair and smirked at her. Ginny smiled back.

"Is Sophie staying for Christmas?" Why is Hermione asking about Sophie? Does she think I want Sophie to stay for Christmas? Of course I do, but I can't say that…. "You two seem to have become pretty good friends lately."

"No, her parents want her home." Hermione's interest seemed innocent enough. Stop panicking.

"Ah, that's too bad. She would have kept you entertained."

"Yeah. We have a lot of fun."

"Well that's excellent for you, Gin," Hermione replied, sounding distracted now. Ginny was opening her mouth to reply, but the brunette had returned to the book in front of her.

"Gin," she panted, trying halfheartedly to step away. "I'm gonna miss the train."

Ginny pressed her lips to Sophie's again before replying. "I know, I know. I just don't want you to leave." Sophie took her hand as they walked to the door of the deserted classroom. She'd opened the door not even a quarter of the way when she felt the redhead's lips on her throat. Pulling away gently, Sophie kissed Ginny's cheek and went to join the crowd trooping out the front doors.

Ginny leaned against the doorframe, watching Sophie's long, straight blonde hair as she left. The holidays are going to be so long and dull without her. Her mind wandered back to what had been happening ten minutes prior, knowing she would have a hard time waiting for it to happen again. Hermione appeared suddenly in the doorway, startling Ginny enough to make her jump and clutch her chest in shock.

"We should talk," was all Hermione said before shoving Ginny back into the classroom and shutting the door.

"What would you care to talk about?" Ginny asked, leaning on a desk, trying to sound politely indifferent.

"Is this why you broke up with Harry?" Hermione demanded.

"What? Harry broke up with me." Ginny was not sure where this was going, but it couldn't be good. Did Harry say something to her?

"Well, you started the fight that made him end it. Is this why?" Hermione's voice was becoming more forceful.

"Is what why, 'Mione? You're making no sense," Ginny asked, wishing more than anything that she could just escape.

"Sophie," Hermione hissed, glancing back at the closed door.

"Why would I fight with Harry because of my best friend?"

"Best friends do not kiss like that, Ginny."

Uh oh.

Ginny took a deep breath, she could feel her traitorous Weasley skin giving her away completely.

"I'm sorry for not saying anything, okay? But I couldn't bear people finding out; you know how this school is! And Harry! Of course this isn't why things ended, but I would just die if he found out, I mean, what would he think? He'd definitely tell Ron, and Ron would tell mum..." She shuddered at the thought.

"I won't tell Harry, but I want you to tell me what's going on. I thought we were better friends than this, I thought you trusted me." Hermione's voice wavered. Ginny stood and hugged her tightly. At least she doesn't hate me.

"I do trust you, no one knows about this, not really. I just couldn't risk Harry finding out, it would tear him apart," she murmured into Hermione's hair.

The older girl pulled back, looking Ginny in the eyes.

"Who does know? Just Sophie?" she inquired.

"No, just one other girl, but she and I don't even talk anymore. I really appreciate you not saying anything though, I honestly couldn't go through another argument with Harry," Ginny replied. Hermione smiled. They stood in silence for several minutes, Ginny not quite being able to meet Hermione's eyes. There's no way she knows about Romilda.

"So, um, how long have you, er, liked girls for?" Hermione asked tentatively. Ginny was sure that Hermione was recounting every time she had undressed in front of Ginny at the burrow or Grimmauld Place, every time they'd slept in the same room. Ginny didn't want it to be like that.

"Not until after Harry and I broke up actually," Ginny answered carefully, not able to read Hermione's expression. "It just sort of happened, I guess."

"Oh. Do you still, erm, like boys then?" Hermione giggled nervously. Hermione never giggles.

"Yes, I reckon I do. I'm just very put out with the entire male species right now, I think." She didn't need to say that it was because of Harry that she'd given up on men. The understanding in Hermione's face was almost more than Ginny could take, she didn't want pity.

After a moment, Hermione glanced at Ginny awkwardly again. Ginny wondered whether it was Hermione's embarrassment or her desire to know everything that would win out first.

"Are you and Sophie dating, then?" Hermione inquired, stumbling over the words. And the desire to know everything wins, as usual.

"No, not really. It isn't quite that deep of a relationship with Sophie and me," she said, thinking that honesty was the best idea here. She owed it to Hermione after all, for promising to keep Ginny's biggest secret.

"Ah. Well, I am glad she seems to be making you happy at least. I was really worried about you for a while there, you know, after the break up." Hermione wouldn't quite meet her eyes. Ginny smiled slightly.

"Sophie definitely makes me happy."